Chapter 308 - Secret Tryst (1)
His right arm was shattered into pieces.
Fortunately, thanks to proper first aid and his quick natural healing, none of the bones had fused out of place. The real problem lay elsewhere.
The nerves in his left arm had taken a heavy blow, and were swollen.
Both leg joints were in the same state. Whatever strain had been put on them, it was extreme, leaving them badly overworked, and the tearing of muscles all over his body was clear to see.
Bishop Lena was aghast.
"If this were an ordinary person, they wouldn't just be fainted, they'd be hovering between life and death right now. But to move around like this… the pain must be unbearable, no?"
It wasn't as if there was no pain.
But it wasn't unbearable. He could endure it well enough.
Years of abuse as a test subject were the cause.
Compared to the agony etched so deeply in his memories from back then, honestly speaking, this was nothing.
Something like this wouldn't make him waver, nor even flinch.
It was the same for Verden.
Of course, there was no way Bishop Lena could know that.
"What on earth were you doing to end up like this?"
Verden and Adrian looked at each other.
"A sparring match…"
"What? A sparring match? What on earth did you do, or rather, whoever your opponent was must be insane. They turned a perfectly healthy person into rags. Whoever that is, I'd advise you not to have anything to do with them. The wise say you should never get entangled with lunatics, after all."
"..."
Verden tasted bitterness.
There was nothing he could say.
If he wanted to suppress Adrian, there was no other way but to go rough.
He had even been planning to crush all four limbs, so this outcome was, in fact, the best result possible…
"My lord───"
"So, how long will the recovery take?"
Just as Adrian was about to retort, Verden cut him off first.
"In my opinion, with consistent treatment, at least a month of complete rest is required. That's assuming I, as a bishop, personally oversee it. Beyond the external injuries, overall physical and mental stability is essential."
A month at minimum.
It was longer than expected, but not unreasonable. There was no point in leaving behind unnecessary aftereffects…
"But!"
Bishop Lena smiled sweetly.
"That's only with ordinary methods."
"Then, you're saying there's another way?"
"If there weren't, why would I have mentioned it? I might have a playful side, but when it comes to the injured, I never joke."
She held up both index fingers in a line.
"I'll ask the guardian. Do you want the ordinary method of treatment, or a very high-class treatment? Which do you choose?"
A very high-class treatment?
"What's the difference?"
"The first is me looking after you with the miracle of healing, the latter is performing a ritual that manifests a tremendous miracle."
Bishop Lena lifted her clothes slightly.
There, a silver cross with rounded ends gleamed.
Adrian reacted.
"That mark… High Bishop?"
"Correct. And not just that, among the peers who completed the High Bishop course, I was famous for possessing the greatest holy power. I wasn't dispatched to serve in a city-state at this age for nothing, you know?"
Her pink hair shimmered.
"If I use the greatest miracle available to me, the external and internal wounds in your body will not just improve, but completely heal within a few days. Of course, there are restrictions."
She could not cure disease.
She could never restore a missing body part. She could not heal vital organs like the heart or brain. And so on, and so forth…
"Luckily, none of those restrictions apply to you. You could call it fortunate, but aside from those restrictions, there is one unavoidable, most fatal cost."
Her tone turned serious.
What cost could it be? As he strained to listen, Bishop Lena rounded her thumb and forefinger.
The circle pointed straight at Verden.
"This is, ridiculously expensive."
***
The bishop's answer was mercenary.
"Performing a ritual to use a High Miracle is really, really exhausting. And with all its restrictions, I've only ever done it a few times in my whole life, so I need to make preparations. When someone puts in effort, they should receive suitable compensation, shouldn't they? So, please fill the offering box."
The priest standing behind her rolled his eyes.
"Bishop Lena!! I can overlook your frivolous attitude! But! How many times have I told you! Never to speak as if miracles are sold and bought!"
"Honestly, isn't it true that we receive offerings in exchange for miracles? Whether I say it indirectly or directly is the only difference. And it's not as if the doctrine says it must be done one way or another."
"Still!!"
"It's not like the Archbishop himself is coming. So what does it matter?"
Her bluntness left the priest reeling.
'…This is the first time I've seen a cleric like this.'
It felt like the perception Verden had built his whole life about clergy was breaking down.
Still, it wasn't unpleasant.
It was far better than wrapping words in circles, hiding meanings.
"So how much is it?"
"This much!"
Bishop Lena spread her fingers.
Checking the front digit, then gauging the rest, Verden pulled a wad of cash from subspace. With a heavy thud, the offering box rang.
"Wow, money out of thin air? It's not a spatial bag or magic… an artifact, maybe?"
"Do I need to answer that?"
"No, I just thought, you must be really rich! Thanks to you, I'll live in luxury… ahem, I mean, thank you for donating generously for Lord Luas! Shall we begin the ritual right away? If we start now, it'll finish around midnight."
"You said you needed preparation?"
"Mental preparation counts too, doesn't it?"
Was she insane?
Verden turned his gaze away.
"What do you want to do?"
"If you'll permit it, I'd like to do it immediately."
A large amount of money had gone into the offering.
That was precisely why Adrian wanted to return to full condition as soon as possible. The longer he delayed, the more it would only get in the way.
"Understood, then let us meet later at the inn."
"I will see you later, my lord."
Soon after, Verden left the church.
With a look of interest, Bishop Lena's eyes gleamed.
"Hmhm, 'my lord', huh. You serve quite an impressive person. Was he a noble, after all? Or, judging by his attire, perhaps a mage from the magic tower?"
"Do not dare to speculate."
Adrian's reply was cold.
From the past until now, aside from Verden and his master, he had never once spoken respectfully to anyone. Nor did he ever intend to.
Be they nobles, bishops, or even kings.
"My, so prickly… Ah, before I forget, there is one side effect."
Bishop Lena trembled lightly.
"This miracle, I've never experienced it myself, but those who have say it hurts terribly. Still, since you seem to endure pain quite well, it should be fine, right?"
It was an innocent smile.
Adrian quietly clenched his fist. Fortunately, he did not swing it.
***
The sun was beginning to sink.
Verden stood in his room, gazing out beyond the window.
The Hefin River, where shards of ice floated in the biting cold, lay beneath the golden glow of sunset.
Since this inn was one of the most expensive in Riverungr, the view outside was a fine one.
'When will she arrive, I wonder.'
They had agreed on tomorrow, but no specific time or place had been mentioned.
Even so, the fact that Leira had nodded surely meant she intended to come. While Verden enjoyed the scenery for a while, he sensed a presence nearby.
'Not the entrance…'
He quietly lifted his gaze.
Then came the sound of an attic window opening.
Soon, part of the ceiling gave way, and Leira landed in Verden's room. She stirred up a light breeze, blowing the dust outside.
"Ah, thank you."
"Why are you coming in from there?"
"Well… I had unavoidable circumstances. To put it simply, the same reason I couldn't greet you properly yesterday."
Tap, tap, Leira brushed off her armor.
"Anyway, it's good to see you, Asher. But you look rather tired, don't you?"
"…There was a tiring bishop at the church."
"Ah, you must mean Bishop Lena."
"You know of her?"
Leira tapped her helmet lightly.
"Of course. As I mentioned before, to suppress the curse inside me, I must periodically receive blessings from the church. So, I've met her a few times… compared to other bishops, she is certainly different—no, extremely peculiar. She's quite famous in Riverungr."
It seemed Bishop Lena was something of a celebrity in the city.
"Has that curse still not been lifted?"
"Unfortunately, no. I haven't even caught sight of the demon I seek. Do you remember the deal we discussed before?"
Of course he remembered.
───It may be unlikely, but… if you happen to obtain any information about demons, please send it through the Adventurer's Guild. Even trivial details are fine, as long as they aren't already common knowledge. If you do, I will ensure you receive proper compensation, money or otherwise.
But the deal had never gone through.
Not once had he come across information about demons.
"There are no demons in the Kingdom of Estiria at all."
"Do not worry. I never expected to stumble upon such clues easily, or by mere coincidence. Well then, let us leave the greetings here."
Leira's aura shifted sharply.
Her voice sank low.
"Mage Asher, I had heard rumors here and there, but compared to when I saw you in the principality, you have changed. Beyond comparison."
The first thing that caught her eye was his equipment.
His robe and accessories—utterly different from when he had showered the Soul Tree with magic.
Especially from the platinum robe, the strange ring, and the necklace emanated an unprecedented power.
Could they all truly be artifacts?
But more important than that was something else.
'…The atmosphere itself is different.'
At first, she hadn't noticed.
But now, facing him directly, she understood.
Even when she heightened her eyesight and senses, she felt nothing.
Absolutely nothing.
Like facing the vast, silent sea without a single wave… Yes, it was similar to standing before one of the elders of the Ark.
That was the difference of realm.
Though they had awakened different powers, the gap was overwhelming.
'I could have sworn he was a 4th-tier mage…'
Everything was drastically different compared to her memories.
As she tried to gauge Verden, Leira carefully asked,
"What on earth happened, for you to become like this?"
Did she not know of the ancient trial?
Verden recalled the tomb of the Demon King—no, the laboratory of the Demon King.
Reaching his current realm owed greatly to that magical battle against the Administrator.
"Well, various things happened."
It would take too long to explain.
And there was too much to keep hidden.
"…I see. I'm curious, but I won't ask further."
Leira exhaled.
She forcibly relaxed the tension in her body.
"Anyway, why did you ask to meet me? And I heard you obtained Roafra in the Kingdom of Estiria, so what brings you to the Kailiens…?"
Her questions carried many layers of meaning.
Verden went straight to the point.
"Leira, there is something I wish to ask you. And something I wish to request."
"As an adventurer, or as a member of the Ark? Which is it?"
"The first is as a member of the Ark, the second is as an adventurer."
"So, the request is as an adventurer…"
Leira thought for a moment, then nodded.
"Well, let's hear it first."
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